


Prologue

by hyacinthbjd



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Gen, Hyacinth (series), Magic, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Witches, ball jointed dolls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26387023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyacinthbjd/pseuds/hyacinthbjd
Summary: Short drabbles meant to introduce all the existing characters within this original fiction. Witches are a diverse resource in this world and are as common place as any other craftsman. Magic, however, comes in many forms... and these are the stories of a select few. Welcome to the town of Hyacinth; may their tales enlighten and delight you.
Relationships: Nora & Sora (Hyacinth)





	1. the Fool & the Magician

On the edge of Hyacinth, along the main road leading from town, sat what appeared to be a quaint little shop. It was muted in its decor; an ebony wood structure, trimmed in various vines and plant life to give it just the right splash of colour. A large bay window gave just a glimpse of the treasure trove that could be found inside, fractions in the glass giving it an almost chaotic appearance. A sign hung beside the door and carved into the wood was the vision of a fairy-like creature sitting atop a treasure chest. Burned into the wood next to it were the cursive and flourished words, ‘ _ The Spriggan’s Reverence _ ’.

True to its title, one step through the doors would lead you into a shop of wonders. Everything from small trinkets to large statues could be found inside. Candle holders, curious writing implements, mystery boxes and colourful potions were only a small fraction of the items that lined the shelves. Unlike a shop of specialties, the Spriggan’s Reverence seemed to specialise in variety. There were small charms to help keep your hands warm, little garden decorations to help ward off disease and even small marbles that could emit flashes of colourful light for no purpose other than awe. It truly was a shop of anything you could ever want and many more things you could never even imagine you needed.

It was the delight of Hyacinth, and the pride and joy of its owners.

“So what’s this one supposed to do?” A woman asks, leaning on her forearms as she stares down to her twin brother’s work.

Peering up from behind his glasses, the man grins widely. Reaching up, he points a finger at her face before he snaps them. “You’re in for a treat; ya ready for this?”

“This one ain’t gonna blow up in my face, is it?” She questions, nose wrinkling in distaste.

Waving a hand, he seems to scoff at the very question. “That one was meant to be a gag and it wouldn’t have been as impressive if I’d warned ya ahead of time.”

Rolling her eyes, she blew her bangs out of her face before her eyes fell to the small box upon his work station. “Well?”

Reaching up, he pushes it toward her before gesturing. “Go ahead; open it.”

“Sora, if something jumps out at me, I swear--” She gave a warning tone, even as she began reaching for it.

“I promise, no jump scares this time. I worked hard on this illusion.” Sora smiles, looking increasingly eager.

She gave him a critical side glance before she sighs. Pressing her fingers to the lid, she slowly opens the small box.

Once open, a small flicker of colour emerges from the crack. She blinks, pushing it open fully and watching as the colour expands. Emerging from the center of the box came the figure of a small, glowing bear that stood on its back legs, no taller than the length of her finger. It waves a paw toward her in greeting before it swoops down to extend across its stomach as it gives a deep bow. A chime follows the gesture, a soft melody of bells accompanying the figure as it stood to full height once more. Then, in a quiet display that matched the gentle music, it began to dance. Wide, sweeping gestures followed as it twirled and jumped within the confines of the box’s base.

A hand claps down on the woman’s shoulder. “What’chu think, Nora?”

She smiles, moving down to rest her chin upon her hands as she kneels down to watch the illusion at eye level. It continued to dance, a peaceful atmosphere surrounding the sight. “I wasn’t expectin’ somethin’ so cute…. Sora, this is… charmin’.”

“Nice, right?” He grins, looking increasingly proud of himself at his sister’s approval. “Took a while to figure out how to loop it.”

“Loop?” Nora echoes, looking over to him.

“Yeah.” He replies, reaching over to close the lid before opening it once more. The same illusion starts up, following in the same footsteps it had before with that familiar melody. “Takes a lot of magic to sustain something so elaborate but I wanted to make it so that the illusion would keep going so long as the lid was open.” He rubs the side of his neck, leaning his head to the side in a quiet stretch. “I’m good with triggers setting the magic into effect but those are usually quick bursts with limited charges. This one-” Sora starts, closing the lid once more and opening it to show her again. “-turns itself off when the lid is closed and starts up again when you open it. This way, the magic doesn’t burn itself out while you’re not using it, ya know?”

“So what does loopin’ have to do with it?” Nora asks.

“It’s gotta do something while it’s open!” He chuckles. “So to make sure it doesn’t use too much magic while it's open, I had to figure out how to loop the illusion. This way, it still looks good without burning itself out. See? Watch.”

He points to the image once more as it continues to dance. She watches it carefully as it prances about the box and twirls back to the center. Then, she watches as the bear raises a paw up once more and bows… before it goes directly back into the same dance it had before.

“Ah!” She perks up. “That’s clever! It looks like it's greetin’ you at first but then it just becomes part of the dance!” Nora beams.

“Any ideas?” Sora asks, watching her delight with a fond smile. It was always just a little more encouraging when he could get that kind of joy from her reaction to his work.

“Mm… maybe a jewelry box?” She replies, humming in thought. “Or maybe somethin’ for a kid’s toy… oh!” Nora suddenly gasps, leaning back and tapping her fist into her open palm. “A nightlight!”

“Nightlight?” Sora echoes.

She turns to him with a grin. “You gave it such soft music; it’s almost like a lullaby! What if we commissioned Eos and got her to make a light base? This way, when you opened it, it would give a light glow and then you have your illusion to help lull them to sleep?!”

“That’s a long time to have it open…” Sora gives a nervous chuckle. “What happens if it gets left open all night?”

She looks thoughtful. “I guess that would depend on the parents havin’ to close it once the kid goes to sleep…”

“Yeah… it’s a cute idea, though.” He replies, looking thoughtful in kind. “The light part wouldn’t be hard since Eos’ magic can last far longer than mine… but the illusion itself would be limited. It would burn out too quickly.”

“Can you put a limit on the loop?” Nora questions.

“I just figured out  _ how _ to loop it and now you want me to stop it?” Sora looks at her, incredulous.

She only grins in response. “Come on, I know you can do it, Sora! Look how cute this is!!” She gestures to the dancing bear. “It’s perfect for kids!”

“You’re the absolute worst.” Sora replies, deadpan. He adjusts his glasses with a soft sigh. “I just managed to do something incredible after  _ how many tries _ and you’re already demanding the next impossible feature.”

Leaning over, Nora rests her head against his shoulder and looks up at him with that same smile. “Sooo~raaaa~”

Lifting his free arm up, he rests his elbow to the table before he sets his cheek into his palm. He stares down at her. “The worst.” He repeats… but a small smile finds its way to his face. “That kind of thing will take a while for me to figure out and I don’t even know yet if it’s possible; got any ideas for the looping feature for now?”

“Tons!” She leans back, lifting her hands to grab hold of his arm and giving it an excited squeeze. “Sora, that opens up  _ so many _ new avenues! People are gonna  _ love _ it; you’re goin’ to be busy, busy,  _ busy _ !”

“I’m already busy!” He protests with a laugh. “How hard you planning t’ work me?!”

Standing up, Nora leans over and kisses his temple with a giggle. “Hard as I can while you keep coming up with amazing things!” She chimes. “But that’s enough for now. You’ve been at it for hours; let’s get some food into you.”

“How am I supposed to be relaxing when I’m the only one here who knows how to cook?!” He replies, getting up from his chair as she starts to tug on his arm insistently.

“You can relax afterward.” She replies with a mischievous smile. “I’ll make the tea, how ‘bout that?”

“The worst.” Sora speaks once again, shaking his head. “It better be some damn good tea.”

“The best.” Nora promised with a wink, before simply taking his hand and pulling him out of the backroom.

» **End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Please leave a review** and let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you. For more information on the characters and some helpful visuals, please visit **hyacinthbjd . carrd . co**.


	2. the Emperor & the Devil

The town square of Hyacinth was vibrant and an ever flowing cauldron of life and trade. Every morning, merchants and farmers alike would gather their wares to sell to their neighbours and to delight in the daily gossip. Word traveled fast in small towns and Hyacinth was no different.

One word in particular was always present in the recent history of the town, but was one that people rarely spoke of.

Oathbreaker.

It wasn't the most shining title; it was a burden given to a man who betrayed the expectations set before him. A heavy mantle, meant to display his failure so that it would develop to be as well known as his name was meant to be.

It was a prominent truth in his daily life… but one that never felt as heavy as it was meant to be. A failure, he could handle; a disgrace, he could be. What mattered to him, at the end of it all, was that he would be able to waste his life away in a peaceful manner of his own choosing. At the end of the day, Mikayl Huron had simple tastes and simple pleasures. 

Once, he had been a young man who dreamed of being a knight. However, such a wish was not born out of noble desire to protect the weak or to fight with honour and valor. The magic that passed through his veins, through the blood of all born into the Huron tribe, was that of weapon creation. Physical manifestations of magic took the form of whatever weapon the wielder so chose. A sword, a spear, a bow, a staff… if it was conceivable, it could be grasped within their hands. As such, the Huron tribe were well known for their fighting prowess and weapon specialty. Mikayl was never able to choose a specific weapon that favoured him… so, instead, he wanted to train to be able to use them all. No matter if a sword was in his hand, a bowstring in his fingers or a mace at his belt, he wanted to be able to wield them flawlessly. That indecision led him down the road of wanting to become a knight; after all, what better place to master his magic than with the greatest fighters in the realm? However, as each year passed in training, Mikayl was becoming very aware of what becoming a knight meant to the realm: to be at the beck and call of the whims of the monarchy, to fight in battles that were not his own and to be the fist that helped control the land. It was an oath that all knights swore into and were expected to uphold until the day they met death with steel and blood.

It was this very oath that earned Mikayl his disgraceful title. On the day that he was to be sworn into knighthood… he did not kneel before the King. He did not offer up his life to his Majesty, as was expected. Instead, he stepped down from that stage and withdrew his name from those noble halls. He had never been one to act on the whims of any but his own and even when the King looked him straight in the eyes and told him he would never again be allowed within the capital city, Mikayl only bowed his head and told the King he would be plenty happy to protect his land… but at his own behest.

Such a blatant act of betrayal was met with hard punishment. Mikayl was banished from setting foot anywhere near the capital, would not be permitted to correspond with the connections he’d made while in training and was branded with the title that would become his legacy. Any action that challenged that punishment would be met with execution. As such, Mikayl had no reason at all to argue or remain.

Once he returned home, Mikayl found himself at a loss for what to do next. He’d wanted the freedom that came with renouncing knighthood… but that didn’t mean he had a plan. Adrift, he found himself frequenting the Hyacinth library and pouring over books in hopes of finding a new direction. 

What he found within the library… were the books themselves. Pages upon pages of knowledge and prose; written histories of great figures and tales that would have been long forgotten if not recorded. Each book contained a fascination that he had never fully considered before… and eventually, it was the books that kept him there. Taking up the new mantle of a librarian, Mikayl found the path he had been hoping for and was now completely content to spend his days with his nose in those dusty, old pages.

It was a much quieter existence than one he had thought he would find… but it was one that he enjoyed. After all, he was a man of simple pleasures.

“Is this what you’re looking for?” He asked, flipping through the pages of a rather thick tome as he came back to the front desk. “It’s not exactly an encyclopedia but it’s got some old recipes that might work.”

Tucking a small bit of hair behind her ear, Satoko stood up a little straighter. “Medicine evolves with time but often, you can find wisdom in older ways.”

Placing the book upon the counter, Mikayl turned it toward her so that she could look over the recipes in question. “Well, I don’t exactly know anything about medicine but it looks like it might be helpful. The author thought it important enough to add to their travel journal.”

“Well, it’s a particularly stubborn rash.” Satoko explained, her eyes never leaving the page as she traced the words with her fingertip. “My usual salves are helping to keep the symptoms at bay but the rash itself refuses to heal.” Placing a knuckle to her lips, she mumbled quietly to herself. “Faeweed? That’s more commonly used for inflammation in joints…”

“Outdated?” Mikayl questioned, leaning against the counter.

“Innovated.” Satoko corrected. “It used to only grow along the banks of the Ka River and was used by the locals as a general painkiller. However, as it was brought to our farmers and grown on a grander scale, it became apparent that it was only for a very particular kind of pain. It was still an important discovery, however, and thus it was able to be used more aptly.”

Mikayl shifted to rest his chin in the palm of his hand. He hummed in response. “Take it that’s not what you were hoping for, then?”

“No… but there could still be others.” Satoko closed the book carefully before tucking it under her arm. She patted it with care. “If you don’t mind.”

Mikayl waved a hand with a smile. “That’s what the library is here for. Just don’t go splitting the spine too badly; Gabe just fixed that one.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to ruin his hard work.” Satoko smiled, giving him a nod. “He’s helped me out on a few occasions.”

“Really?” Mikayl grinned a little mischievously. “It’d be pretty cute to see him playing nurse. Maybe I should come by when he’s there.”

“I feel like both Gabriel and I would be in agreement that any injury you caused yourself for the sake of that would be unworthy of our time.” Satoko replied.

“What? Why?! I would be in pain!” Mikayl huffed.

“Then suffer.” Satoko replied once more. “I have more pressing patients and your flights of fancy aren’t a high priority.”

“Stingy.” Mikayl rolled his eyes.

“Busy.” Satoko corrected. Pulling the book to her chest, she outstretched her hand to him. “Well, I should be on my way. Always a pleasure, Mikayl.”

Staring at her hand, he gave her an incredulous look. “It’s insane that you still expect me to shake your hand after all these years. We’re friends.”

“This is a business transaction.” Satoko insisted, urging her hand forward.

Mikayl rolled his eyes once more before grabbing her hand and giving it a half hearted shake. “Thank you for your patronage.” He said with as much sarcasm as he could manage.

Satisfied, Satoko gave him a soft smile. “I will return this within the week.”

“Long as it’s not damaged, keep it for however long you need it, Satoko.” Mikayl shook his head, his hands sliding into his pockets. “I’ll see if I can’t find anything else for ya in the meantime.”

“I would appreciate that.” She replied, giving a slight bow of her head in farewell. “I’ll see you soon.”

“You still owe me a drink.” Mikayl grinned.

“I’ve not forgotten.” Satoko said over her shoulder as she made for the door.

“You said that a month ago!” Mikayl yelled after her. “You have to take a day off work some time!!”

“I’ve patients to attend to.” She replied, hand on the doorknob.

Mikayl smirked. “Don’t make me tell Eos on you.” His grin only grew as he watched her shoulders stiffen a moment. 

Turning to face him, she gave him a scowl in warning. “Don’t bother her with something so trivial.”

“She’s the only who can get you to relax; why wouldn’t I take advantage of that?” He smirked. Raising a hand from his pocket, he lifted a single finger. “One drink. You can even bring her along.”

There was a moment of pause, a look of annoyance upon her face… before she sighed. “Fine. One drink.”

“Your place?” He asked, looking particularly smug about his victory.

“Tavern.” Satoko replied. “After you’ve closed. Don’t be late.”

“I’m always on time!” Mikayl protested.

“No,” She started, finally opening the door. “You’re not.”

With that, the door closed behind her and Mikayl remained alone. Chuckling to himself, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Way too easy.” He mumbled. “... Now I just gotta try and get Gabe out of his house…”

Scratching at his goatee, a thoughtful expression crossed his face. That one… that one would be a little bit tougher.

However, it was a day to day challenge of his new life that he was more than willing to accept.

» **End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Please leave a review** and let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you. For more information on the characters and some helpful visuals, please visit **hyacinthbjd . carrd . co**.


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